Polly Young-Eisendrath, Ph.D., is a psychologist, writer, speaker, and Jungian analyst who is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Real Dialogue in Vermont. She has published 19 books including, The Self-Esteem Trap: Raising Confident and Compassionate Kids in an Age of Self-Importance and Love Between Equals: Relationship as a Spiritual Path. She is the co-author, with Jean Pieniadz, Ph.D., of Dialogue Therapy for Couples and Real Dialogue for Opposing Sides: Methods Based on Psychoanalysis and Mindfulness. She maintains a clinical practice in central Vermont. In 2009, Polly received the Otto Weininger Memorial Award from the Canadian Psychological Association for outstanding lifetime contributions to psychoanalysis.

Polly hosts the popular podcast ENEMIES: From War to Wisdom which provides a fresh look at human hostilities and what to do about them. She has a new podcast that examines the current fads, fictions and potentials of psychedelics, meditation and other kinds of awakening: Waking Up is Not Enough: Flourishing in the Human Space. She is a lifelong Buddhist practitioner and a Mindfulness teacher.

Real Dialogue™ is a set of principles, practices and methods for healthy conflict as the means for growth and development in relationships, creativity, and productivity.

Like fire, conflict is used by people for both creative and destructive purposes. Healthy conflict increases problem-solving, wisdom, and love while unhealthy conflict, and avoidance of conflict, result in polarization, dehumanization, and war. Ending war is plausible if we can engage in healthy conflicts and learn from all sides of our disagreements.

Every project we develop, from science and technology to art and culture, to religion and personal relationships, involves searching for truth through opposing viewpoints.

Real Dialogue™ offers evidence-based skills, methods, and knowledge for welcoming differences and regulating our drive to simply defeat others. Our human superpower is self-awareness: our ability to perceive our own thoughts, feelings, and sensations. As humans we can train our awareness (mindfulness) and develop self-knowledge and self-acceptance. These experiences permit us to regulate our emotional reactivity to respect diverse viewpoints, ways of being, ethnicities, and cultures.

The Center for Real Dialogue is a transformative organization led by a diverse group of experts in mental health, education, and community-building, all dedicated to fostering meaningful connection and understanding. We provide programs and trainings for all people—including specialized resources for mental health and coaching professionals—helping them navigate and thrive amid disagreements, differences, and conflicts. With a team deeply invested in bridging communication divides across communities nationwide and globally, we empower individuals and organizations to create lasting, positive change through respectful and impactful dialogue.

Find out more about the Center for Real Dialogue here.